Lula Criticizes New U.S. Tariffs on Brazil as Strategic Mistake

Brazilian President Lula da Silva condemned the new U.S. tariffs on Brazil, calling them unfair and a strategic mistake that could harm bilateral relations and raise costs for American consumers. He emphasized the negative impact on integrated supply chains and Brazilian companies potentially seeking new partners.

On Sunday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized new U.S. tariffs in a Washington Post opinion piece, labeling them as unfair and a strategic error with the potential to damage bilateral relations and elevate prices for American customers.

Despite numerous meetings, presented documents, and solid technical arguments, the U.S. Greenlit tariffs between 12.5% and 37.5% on Brazilian goods, affecting products such as food, footwear, textiles, and much more, this coming after a previous 50% tariff was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.

Lula cited the Global Trade Alert, highlighting that Brazil and Turkey are second only to China in facing U.S. tariffs. Despite a U.S. trade surplus with Brazil of $428 billion over 15 years, Brazilian exports to the U.S. have dropped to their lowest since 1997, while Lula expressed willingness for constructive dialogue, emphasizing Brazil's self-determined destiny.